Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-09-22
n,roRruyEs OF BILL SINGLETON.

1'' IfIwere you.
,r,roRTUNES OF BILL SINGLETON.
BY C. A. LEE.
chilly day in November. A
,o7n of five men had gathered
| me- little stove in the store in
m. ANAL mountain town, and
' .,,rying on lively conversation
j., themselves. 1t was no unusual
n see. from four TO eight loafers
| i, sspecially when the weather was
.,5 no work was going on. The
,stbered around the stove were
men. One was a stranger who
sre to the village on some business.
| ID tbe others was the proprietor of
w,s wbile the remaining three were
!, men who had been in Melville
.ir months, and had been working
mines dye miles from the village.
| ,5ev sat there talking to each other
Nh looking man opened the door to
| ,a,s md walked back TO the stove
!. the men was sitting. 1t was bud
rough mountaineer. "Old Dud,"
n Wan called, had lived in Melville all
M and he knew everything that had
Bsred there since he was boy.
Eal he's dead drolled out bud as lie
3tsdbis hands together and held them
tts stove.
| gbos isads' asked Mr.. Baker, the
sret0r of the store.
IBay old Bill Singleton" answered
Yer knew that he never did hev no
O luck"
| So doubt he's better off now" said
| Baker, no doubt he's better Off. I've
expecting to hear just such news for
a days.
b. I1ecsou he Is better off, repeat
bud: but he lad a mighty tough time
saevere here. 1t peers ter me that
is a curi'us kind o. world anyway.
you think so, stranger?" continued
o, he turned about and faced the
1.t. VINO stood near him. eyer look
% knew a thing or two eff yer nose
nom drinkin' whisky"
Ia replied the stranger: "this is a
a world, However, you needn't
fdgmy nose, for never touch whisky;
be cold weather that makes my nose
Hsl"
Wei. AIRED nose is a mighty good sign
man drinks all the time,n said bud.
! !et say We never touch whisky? Now
ol.llt Q believed it. Yer must for
me stranger; didn't mean no harm.
q. ! were agoin' ter say, this is a
y culius world, an thar are lots o.
E don't understand. Now, thar
SIX pussons il that family awhile
90 bow thar amt one o them livin'
iay-al dead"
f0aE what's the matter?n asked the
&lger,
Haven't ger ever heard about it?" in
r. Dad
eleyer heerd about it," answered
stranger; "Out with it,
ben Ivy tell it ter We. l know these
isIers never heerd it, fer it han
fore they come"
.s'e vas some shutting of feet and
lg OF chairs to make room for bud,
aad been standing up all the while.
slay be was seated and began his
70 which every one listened atten-
s.r said Dud, 1T we're GURUS
a2ns. Thar we're no 'countin'
.es had ter put Bill down as an
ss man. lie we're a good Teller; he
70. drunk, olluz treated his family
~ were klnd ter everybody. When
-.'tl mere he had a wife an a young
.lAi were nigh on ter twenty years
az Dog asyer left this place arter he
g7.7' de made money right along
.7a! Yea years; then his luck turned.
l.llt' seemed that Providence had
mn as'n him, fer all o. a suddin he
-.-'.! All his money speculatip';
d. house burnt down an it took
a'' me money he had left ter build
g-s blll had one gal an three
1sA boy were ez likely boys
as' seed He almost worshiped
'' hl', an be were countin'
T '.' ,Ney were gettin' long in
--fntd ont 70 be workin'
81. were countin' on another
2a' poor felier; he never knew
5. 90. were "a'tln' fer him. Wnen
A long iustrate he fergets